This application relates to sticks suitable for playing the sport of hockey.
Hockey sticks have up until now tended to be very similar in their design and construction. They are generally made of wood which may be solid or laminated. Generally speaking the blade of the stick is laminated in order to provide the desired curvature in the blade portion. Most shafts on the other hand are of a solid wood construction. The governing bodies of the various hockey leagues generally lay down rules for the construction of hockey sticks to be used in their leagues. For example, the National Hockey League specifies in its rule book that no hockey stick shall exceed 58 inches in length from the heel to the end of the shaft and no more than 121/2 inches from the heel to the end of the blade. Furthermore, according to the rule book of this league the blade must not be more than 3 inches in width at any point nor less than 2 inches. Also all edges of the blade must be bevelled and the curvature of the blade must not exceed a certain maximum.
In addition to the standard stick used by defencemen and the forwards, the goalkeeper has a special stick used to block shots on goal. This stick generally has a wider blade and a widened portion extending up the shaft from the blade. The National Hockey League rules for this type of stick include the requirements that the blade not exceed 31/2 inches in width at any point except at the heel where it must not exceed 41/2 inches in width. Further, the blade must not exceed 151/2 inches in length from the heel to the opposite end. The widened portion of a goalkeeper's stick must extend up the shaft not more than 26 inches from the heel and it must not exceed 31/2 inches in width. As with ordinary sticks, a goalkeeper's stick may or may not have a curved blade. Some goalkeepers prefer that the blade have no curvature at all.
Certain problems can arise with the use of a goalkeeper's stick constructed in the usual manner. Some of these problems arise from the fact that the narrow portion of the shaft, which is the upper portion, extends from the center of the widened portion. Because of this arrangement, a goalkeeper cannot have the same perception of where the lower part of the stick is, such as the heel of the blade, as a player using an ordinary stick. Furthermore, the standard goalkeeper's stick does not shoot the puck like a regular hockey stick and thus the goalkeeper may not have sufficient control and accuracy when handling the puck such as when the puck must be cleared.
Another difficulty with the standard stick used by goalkeepers is that if the back edge of the stick is placed along the ice surface in an effort to block a shot, the back surface does not lie flat along the ice and there is a large gap between the upper end of the widened portion of the shaft and the upper end of the narrow portion of the shaft. A hockey puck can easily slide through this gap and cause a goal to be scored.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hockey stick of novel construction. The present invention is particularly suited for incorporation into sticks suitable for use by hockey goalkeepers but it also can be used with advantage in sticks designed for defencemen and offensive forwards.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a goalkeeper's stick for the game of ice hockey that is better able to block a puck when the shaft of the stick is laid along the ice and that is more comfortable to hold for an extended period of time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hockey stick with a slight sideways curve in the shaft, which stick is better able to clear the net post and the crossbar on the net when it is used by a goalkeeper.